Complex Fate
by Icy Cake
Summary: Young Link, realizing that he is no longer in Hyrule, stumbles into a baffling situation when he runs into his older self, unnoticed. With some help from a friendly Star Warrior, he seeks for answers to where and how he had come to such a place.
1. Unclear Destiny

Disclaimer: I do not own Nintendo therefore I do not own their characters.

Chapter 1: Unclear Destiny

The day was pretty much the same as any other day for the young Hylian boy as he sat under a shady tree to ponder away at the strange, strange reality that. . . his _older self _existed in the same time as _he_.

Quite an odd situation, it was, to stumble into this new world he was now in, to find Princess Zelda and his older _self_ standing before him with their backs turned. He had completely froze in shock; staring with wide, blue eyes at the two unwary Hylians. However, upon hearing his _own_ adult voice, he had broken free of the spell and quickly hid between the shadows of the large, grey buildings.

He had thought that he was seeing things, but when he heard their voices; he was certain it was indeed, _them_.

". . . don't you think? Hey, what's wrong?"

"Link, did you hear something?"

"Not a thing, princess. Why? Did _you_ hear something?"

"I thought I- Oh, never mind. Let's go."

The sounds of their footsteps faltered as they walked away, unaware of the listening child.

He plopped onto his back as he recalled that memory. It had been a total of four days since that incident and not once had he returned to that odd city lying below the hillside. Tall grey and white buildings of sorts towered the large city. It was a harsh, terrible place to be for he had gotten lost in that mazy burg. And the people, they were... very different. He didn't recognize anyone or _anything_ that resided within.

How he got here and _why_ he was here was still unknown. The last thing he remembered before waking up in this strange world was going to sleep back in Kokiri Forest. . .

Maybe this was all a dream!

If he banged his head hard enough against the tree trunk, it may wake him up!

_Nah. . ._ he thought with a pout. That wouldn't work.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, he closed his tired eyes. A tiny, audible rustle in the tree above him made him snap them back open.

He gasped when he saw a pink, round creature with two dark, oval eyes staring down at him from the tree branch. Immediately, he shot up to a sitting position. He heard a small giggle from the strange creature as it fell lightly on his head, bouncing right off then landing on its feet before him.

Rubbing his head at the nonexistent pain, he gazed at the odd pink _thing_ that smiled at him, warily. It was something he had never seen before; it was short (standing only half his size), small, and completely _round_ with two stub-like "hands". The little pink "ball" didn't seem like a dangerous monster so he relaxed.

"Just as I thought!" the creature spoke, surprising the boy. The pink creature hopped over on its red shoes to stand beside him. "There _is_ someone hiding here. What are you doing all by yourself?" it asked as it looked up at him, curiously. The creature's voice sounded just like a child's voice; innocent and harmless.

The little monster sounded rather friendly, breaking the hidden doubt he held against it. Giving the round, pink thing a nervous grin, he stammered his answer; not sure of what to say, "W-Well, I. . ."

Dark oval eyes blinked at him before the creature brought its rounded hand to its mouth. "Are you lost?"

"Uh, I suppose you could. . . say that. . ."

"Ah! That's not good! You should come with me to the city! You must be hungry!" With its short little hands, it grabbed the boy's arm, urging him to get up. "Come, come!"

"B-But I. . . I don't think I should go in there. . ." the young Hylian protested as he remained on the ground.

"Don't worry! I know a lot of people who could help you!" the creature proclaimed cheerfully. "Come with me!" It gently tugged the boy's arm.

"I. . . I dunno. . ." he said hesitantly as he slowly rose to his feet.

"It'll be all right. Trust me! I know a good place where there's plenty of food! Come, come!" It grabbed his hand within its soft, squishy grip and pulled him along.

"Well. . . Okay," he said, finally giving in to the creature's persistent yet friendly charm. Not only was it that, he was also hungry as well. Having lasted four whole days with little to eat left him feeling famished.

"Yay!" it cried happily; bouncing up and down with joy. "My name is Kirby. I'm from _Popstar_!"

"'_Popstar_'?" the boy repeated in a baffled tone.

"Yup! Where are you from?"

"_Hyrule_. . ."

"Really? I know some people who are from there too! What's your name?"

"It's Link and I-"

"Your name is Link?!" the pink creature gasped with wide, round-ish eyes. "I have a friend named Link too! In fact, you look _exactly_ like him! Scary. . . By chance, are you his brother? "

Link drew a sharp breath and visibly froze from hearing the awkward question. The creature waited patiently for an answer as it stared at him with awaiting eyes. "_Brother_?! N-No. I don't have a brother or anything like that, actually," he truthfully answered with a saddened smile.

"Oh?" Kirby tilted his body to the side and frowned. "You two would be perfect brothers! You _dress_ like him, _look_ like him, and sort of _act_ like him."

"'Sort of?'" Link questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"See! Like that! He always does that too! You guys should meet!" With that, Kirby pulled him along once more.

"What?! No no no!" the Hylian shrieked as he pulled back. He wasn't ready to face his older self or even Zelda. Not yet. He was too afraid. . . "I think that would be a bad idea. . ."

"Huh? Why?" Kirby asked in disappointment.

"It's. . . _because_."

"'_Because'_ why?"

"_Because_. . . It's hard to explain. . ."

"Really?"

"Yeah, do you understand?"

"Sort of!"

Link raised an eyebrow again. "Is that a yes?"

"Uh, sort of!" Kirby said with a big, sheepish smile. "If you don't want to meet big Link, then that's okay! You can stay with me until you find your way home!" Link felt relieved upon hearing that and grinned happily at the pink creature. Kirby tugged his arm once more. "Now come, come. I'm starving! Have you ever been here before?"

"Where is _here_, anyway?" Link asked as he timidly followed the pink ball.

"You _don't_ know?! We're in _Nintendo_!" it cried, bounding up and down with a big, happy face.

_Nintendo? _Link pondered silently to himself. He had never heard of such a place. That meant he was definitely in another world

"You must be new here, so I'll show you around!" Kirby announced as he trotted ahead of him. "Let's hurry!"

Link couldn't help but grin at the small chirpy fellow, feeling a little anxious as he followed the hopping pink ball down the hill. Kirby was just a little child and so was he. Giggling, Link caught up to the joyous creature and challenged him to a race, all the while, hoping that he will not run into any _familiar_ faces within the city.

- - - - -

A/N: How was that for the first chapter? The other characters will appear later on as Young Link searches for answers within _Nintendo_. Review please!


	2. Of Mouth and Mind

**Chapter 2: Of Mouth and Mind**

It was truly amazing for such a small creature to have a huge mouth as Link silently watched Kirby swallow each item of the full course meal in _one_ bite. As big as Kirby's mouth was, it couldn't compare to his appetite as he ordered another meal shortly after.

Link still had not touched the strange food before him that the pink ball had ordered for both he and himself. He sat across from the short, little creature on a rectangular table within, what Kirby had called, a _diner_.

A _diner_ was a place where people (and _creatures_) could order food and eat. It was a pretty strange concept to Link for he had never _ordered_ food from a book-like _menu_ before.

Kirby, who had to sit on a wooden crate to meet the table's height, looked over at him with a smile. "Aren't you going to eat? It's good!" he said as he waited for his second order to come. _That_ was another bizarre thing about diners; food was _brought_ to them by a servant of some sort. In this case; a blue spotted, white, mushroom-headed boy by the name of Morri.

Morri, though he appeared to be a boy, sounded more like a man with his deep, scratchy voice. Link certainly felt like he was among the nobles when the mushroom-servant picked up Kirby's empty plates and refilled their glasses without being asked.

Kirby tilted his body to the side and brought his hand to his mouth in a familiar gesture. "You don't like the food I ordered?" he asked with a deep, apologetic frown. "I'm sorry! I should have asked you first!"

Glancing down at his meal, Link let out a nervous laugh to cheer the little creature up. "It's okay because I've never eaten in such a. . . place. . . before so I'd be pretty lost about what to get! So thank you, Kirby," he said with a small nod of his head. He then picked up the oddly round sandwich off his plate, (which Kirby had called a "hamburger"), and studied the contents between the two pieces of bread.

Kirby's face brightened and he soon returned to his joyful self by bouncing up and down on his wooden crate. "My pleasure! After this, we can go to my place for a nap!" he announced but then soon stopped and looked at the boy with a curious stare. "You like naps, right?" the pink ball asked dubiously.

The young Hylian smiled inwardly at the innocence Kirby portrayed. The creature was nothing but a little kid!

"Uh. . . I guess so," Link mumbled as he nervously scratched the back of his head.

"Yay!" Kirby hopped onto his feet. "Let's do that before we meet some of my friends who also stay there too!"

Link tensed upon hearing that, fearing that Kirby might-

"Well, well, well," a voice interrupted from the side, "This is where Kirby ran off to."

Two human strangers approached their table; each with an appearance of a sword-wielding warrior. The one that spoke was a young man. He had short, dark, bluish hued hair with what looked like a tiara on top. A long, flowing cape draped over his shoulders and he also wore a fully defined piece of armour right under it. Dark eyes glanced at Kirby then over at Link where they soon widened with surprise.

The other was also a young man, possibly the same age as the other. He bore the most amazingly red hair that Link had ever saw. It was short and messy; sticking in all directions while a blue and gold headband held fringes of hair out of his sapphire eyes. He too, also wore a gallant cape and an alluring piece of armour under it. His expression was that of impatience as the young man paid no heed to the two people his dark-haired friend was speaking to but rather searching the diner for something.

Kirby waved his hands in the air and giggled. "Hi Marth! Wanna join us for some lunch?" he kindly asked the two warriors.

Marth, the blue-haired man gave a polite nod to the pink creature then a friendly smile to the boy in green. "Sure, why not?" he said with a shrug. "Who is your friend?"

"Marth, Roy. This is Link!" Kirby introduced.

"Link?!" the redhead blurted out, snapping his attention to the young Hylian. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened as he, along with Marth, gaped at the Hylian boy in utter shock.

Kirby blinked at their surprised reactions while Link nervously bit his lip, not liking where this was going.

Roy shook out of his surprised state and quickly leaned forward right into the boy's face. "Link! What happened to you?!" the man cried in horror.

Link had edged away from the redhead while he was speaking; feeling rather uncomfortable at the man's close presence. "W-What are talking about? I've never met you before!" he honestly answered with a bashful look.

He received a questioning glance from Marth and a baffled stare from Roy. The redhead opened his mouth to say more, but Kirby interrupted (to Link's relief).

"I forgot to tell you guys that he has the same name as Link!" the little round ball said with a big grin. "Isn't that neat?"

"Huh? What?!" Roy shrieked, still leaning awfully close. He blinked and cocked his head to the side, studying Link in confusion. "You're name is Link. . . too? But you-"

"Hey Roy! Give the kid some room!" The dark-haired man grabbed the redhead's shoulder and pulled him back with a chuckle. Marth brought one hand up to brush a few stands of hair out of his sleek face then apologetically smiled at Link. "It seems like my friend has mistaken you for someone else, Link. Please forgive him," he said; lightly nudging Roy in the side.

Roy shot the other a perplexing look before going into a nervous laugh. "Oh. . . Uh, sorry about that, kid. I really thought that you were a friend of mine," he quickly apologized with a shake of his head.

"It's. . . okay," Link awkwardly answered with a timid smile.

Kirby rubbed the top of his body and laughed at the two warriors. "Isn't it a big coincidence, you two? That Link here looks just _like_ big Link!" he chirped.

Link quickly looked away to hide his troubled expression.

"Yes, quite a resemblance," he heard Marth say in his smooth voice. "Ah, well, look at the time! Roy, we shall be leaving now."

"What?!" Roy cried out, grasping Link's attention. "But Marth, we just got here and-"

"I know but I just remembered that we have something important to do," the dark-haired man interrupted. Marth turned and began to shove the redhead towards the door all the while, waving goodbye to Link and Kirby. "Sorry Kirby, but we can't stay. It was nice to see you though. And it was nice to meet you too, Link! See you both later!"

The bell chimed when the two warriors opened the door and left; leaving both Kirby and Link staring dumbfounded at each other.

Unfazed by the strange departure of his friends, Kirby had resumed back to eating when his food had arrived shortly after. Link, on the other hand, didn't have any appetite to eat the meal anymore. He was too worried about those two warriors. . . They were acting quite suspicious when they left.

Obviously, they _knew_ his older self. Were they going to mention their encounter with the young Hylian to him?

Link certainly hoped not. . . He dreaded the awkward feeling of having his older self and Zelda fully aware of his presence. If he met them, what would they say to him? What would they _do_ to him? Especially his older self. . .

He wanted to hide somewhere; to get out of the open.

"Hey, Kirby, I'm not hungry anymore. Can we go to your place now?" he carefully asked.

The pink, round creature nodded and smiled. "Sure! I'll finish the food for you first!" With that, Kirby opened his mouth wide and, to Link's amazement, began to _suck_ the untouched meal into his mouth. It all happened within a mere second that Link didn't notice that all the food was gone from his plate until he looked down at it.

He blinked and gaped at the empty plate in utter surprise. Before he got a chance to ask how Kirby had done such a neat trick, the little pink ball had already bounded towards the counter by the entrance and jumped onto it.

Smirking, Link followed the odd creature out the door after Kirby handed the mushroom boy working there some green paper, which, to Link's guess, was this world's kind of money.

Feeling nervous to be outside where people might "recognize" him, he urged Kirby if they could hurry to his home.

"Oh, sure! I know a shortcut!" Kirby exclaimed after they crossed the street full of the oddest creatures Link had ever saw. The little pink ball grabbed the Hylian's hand and pulled him along as Kirby trotted through the crowds of the city.

The people only glanced at Link and his companion as they ran past them. A few of them glared in annoyance while others simply stepped to the side.

After turning into a narrow alley that reeked of a indescribable stench and crossing a few more streets, Kirby stopped in front of an enormously tall, greyish white building that touched the skies. Glowing red letters on a huge sign hung high across the grand entrance. Large glass windows covered the main floor. Link could clearly see right inside the building.

Link dropped his jaw in astonishment as he craned his head up to see the top. "You live _here_?!"

There was a laugh. "No, not really. I'm just staying here for now with the other Smashers!" Kirby explained.

"The _who_?" Link asked, looking down at his pink friend.

"The _Smashers_!" Kirby patted a hand to his own body and smiled. "I, along with others from different worlds, are contestants for a tournament that's about to start in a week! It's called the 'Super Smash Brothers' tournament where all the famous and strongest warriors from different worlds come to Nintendo to battle against each other!"

"Different worlds?" Link questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Kirby nodded. "Yup! There are so many worlds and this is where they all meet!"

The boy cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean by that?"

"Uh. . ." Kirby looked thoughtful for a moment then stared up at Link. "I don't know. . ." he said. The Hylian sullenly blinked at him. Kirby let out a nervous laugh before continuing, "I really have no idea how to explain complicating things, but I know someone who does! After our nap, we can go see him!"

"See who?"

"Mewtwo, that's who! Now let's go up to my room. You might be able to meet a few other Smashers inside!"

"Uh, Kirby?"

"Hmm?"

"I. . . Um. . . I'm getting pretty tired. So how about we try _not _to meet them along the way?" Link forcefully lied.

"Oh, sure! Follow me!" With that, Kirby ran _into_ the glass doors and bounced right off. Rolling a few times, he ended up at Link's feet.

"Kirby! You okay?" Link knelt down at the little fellow who bounded right back up, unhurt.

"Oops! I keep forgetting that there's glass in the way!" Kirby walked to one of the double-doors and pushed it open. "Come! Follow me!" he whispered.

Hesitating for only a second, Link simply shrugged and followed the joyous pink ball into the strange building.

- - - - -

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thank you all for the reviews; they really motivate me to keep writing! Mewtwo will make his appearance next chapter. I promise. Now, until I update again (which may be awhile), take care!


	3. Trust in a Friend

Chapter 3: Trust in a Friend

Link followed closely behind Kirby through the rather extravagant and fanciful hallways of the large building that the pink warrior had called a _hotel_. What a hotel was seemed similar to an inn, except bigger. A _lot_ bigger.

To Link's promise, going up to Kirby's dormitory had become a little game of stealth for the two. They would run and hide whenever someone came along their way or quietly sneaked pass any loitering guests. It was quite a fun experience.

"We're almost there!" the little pink creature whispered gleefully from all the anxiety of having to sneak around cautiously. He turned to Link and beckoned the boy to follow.

They had climbed over twenty cases of stairs and the tired, young Hylian was greatly relieved upon hearing the news. Link quickened his pace behind the little fellow while still looking cautiously around. Kirby rounded a corner and Link soon followed, only to suddenly trip over something with a yelp. The thing he tripped over turned out to be Kirby who had stopped in the middle of the turn because. . . someone, more like _something_, stood right before them with its slender arms crossed over its chest and a stern expression upon its pale face.

Link quickly scampered up to his feet as Kirby rubbed his face and groaned. When the little pink ball looked up at the strange creature before him, he smiled broadly while Link anxiously waited; hoping that he wouldn't end up in trouble if the pale creature knew who he was.

"Mewtwo!" Kirby cried joyfully as he bounded towards the new stranger.

_Mewtwo. . ._ The person Kirby had mentioned earlier. . .

Link found the creature's abnormal appearance to be quite unnerving. It stood nearly twice as high as the young Hylian and its skin was a sickly pale white with a purplish hue. A long tail slowly swayed behind its back while its fierce, golden eyes froze the boy in place after it had glanced down at Kirby.

Link held his breath as he felt a shiver ran up his spine. He didn't trust the creature before him even though Kirby showed no sign of danger from it. Instead, the little pink ball was busily talking away with the strange monster who still watched Link carefully.

". . . maybe you can help!" Kirby finished joyfully, (though Link did not hear what he was talking about in the first place).

The pale creature gave a small nod to Kirby before giving the boy a small, strange smile. "_Do not be afraid._"

Link jumped and drew his sword at the sound of a voice not through his ears, but within his _mind_. It was telepathy! Just like when Princess Zelda. . . He kept his wary eyes on the smiling creature, seeing a tiny hint of amusement upon its face.

He heard that _voice _again, chuckling in his head. It was deep and somewhat vibrant that it did not seem to hold a threat. It was then, that Link knew, that the creature before him was the one laughing telepathically at him.

Kirby giggled and tugged at Link's hand. "It's okay, Link! Mewtwo is a friend!" he said with an assuring smile.

"_The little one is correct_," Link heard the odd creature "say." Relaxing just slightly, the young Hylian lowered his sword and looked curiously at Mewtwo. "_I will not hurt you so do not be afraid. You have many questions that you seek answers for_,_ am I correct_,_ Link_?"

The boy gulped before answering with a nod; "Y-Yeah. . ."

"_Be aware, that I do not hold all of your answers,_" it "said;" uncrossing its arms.

Link felt a little disappointed but at the same time, glad. Smiling, he sheathed his sword and nodded appreciatively. "That's okay. . . Uh, Mister. . . Mewtwo," he said awkwardly, for it was strange to reply to a telepathic person.

The Hylian glanced down at Kirby, wondering if he could "hear" Mewtwo "speak" as well. The little pink ball broadly smiled at his former friend and happily bounced on his feet. "That's great you're going to help him, Mewtwo!" he cried joyfully.

"_Let us go to a safer place to freely talk. I know that you do not wish to be discovered_,_ Link_," Mewtwo claimed with a tiny smirk. He slowly lifted himself off his feet to somehow _float_ in midair, making Link stare unbelievably at the amazing powers Mewtwo possessed.

He reached out a hand, comprised of three bulbous "fingers," and lightly touched Link by the shoulder. Kirby held onto the boy's hand with his and before Link could ask what they were doing, a bright light flashed before his eyes; blinding him.

With a blink of an eye, the light had disappeared; leaving Link totally stunned by what he saw before him; no longer were they in the confined hallway of the large hotel building, but out in the open amongst a hill that overlooked the city. It so happened to be the exact same place where Link had first met Kirby earlier that day.

Confused, but also amazed, he gaped at the abnormal creature that had silently floated towards the familiar tree. "How'd you do _that_?" Link cried in astonishment as he followed Mewtwo to the tree. Kirby was still by his side and soon bounded along with him.

"_It was simply teleportation. A different form than what you know of_," Mewtwo replied calmly in the young Hylian's mind.

"Than what I know of?" Link repeated with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Kirby asked the boy as he settled himself onto the grassy floor, under the tree's shadow. "Mewtwo can read your mind like a book!"

Shocked by what he had just learned, Link could only stare at the two without hardly ever blinking. Kirby cocked his body to the side while Mewtwo remained as calm as ever.

Shaking the surprised feeling away, a sudden sense of awe rose within him. "That's really cool!" he blurted out; gaining new respect for Mewtwo. "So is that why you brought us here? Because you _knew_ that I _knew_ about this place?"

Mewtwo simply nodded. He stood by the tree, almost making it look like he was leaning against it. "_You would be more comfortable to speak here than within the city_,_ correct_?"

"Heh, yeah," Link agreed while scratching the back of head in a timid way.

"_Then let us begin_," Mewtwo began as he closed his eyes in thought. "_You wish to know where this place is_?"

Although a bit surprised, (even though he _knew_ Mewtwo could mind-read), Link briskly nodded, (even though Mewtwo couldn't _see_ him nod).

"Kirby told me earlier that this place is called '_Nintendo_' and that _this_ place is where different worlds meet," the Hylian informed the tallest of the three. Link sat himself onto the grass; facing the two.

The little pink ball looked up at his standing companion and nodded. "Link doesn't know about this place, Mewtwo, so you should tell him everything!" he said, turning red at the cheeks with a big, nervous smile. "I sure can't because I don't know how to explain it."

The pale creature smirked, still with his eyes closed. Slowly, he opened them to reveal his golden orbs to the city below. "_You probably did not know that my world, your world_,_ and Kirby's world as well, are all connected here_,_ in _Nintendo," he began, making Link intentively listen. "_Not only ours_,_ but many others_,_ ranging from distant lands to the ends of space, _this_ is where they all are one_;_ where all the worlds hold a link to each other. How this place exists is beyond even my knowledge. However_,_ I have a small theory that _Nintendo _is a balanced rift in time and space_;_ where the energies of each world collide in harmony to create such a beautiful world we all can meet. . ."_

Although Mewtwo was still explaining in agonizingly full detail of this world that Link knew he should pay close attention to, he couldn't help but notice Kirby's current reaction. The poor little guy seemed so devoid of life as he stared at his tall companion in an awfully blank stupor.

Still hearing Mewtwo's words within his head and seeing that the pale creature was deeply focused on the scenery before him, Link quietly shuffled up beside Kirby and gently nudged him with his elbow. Not much of a response came from the little fellow except a slight tilt of his body. Raising a sullen brow, Link nudged him again and this time Kirby blinked. . . rather slowly.

After the third time, some sense finally came to for the pink ball as he looked around in surprise before breaking out in a small giggle of embarrassment.

"_You two weren't listening to me, were you_?" Mewtwo asked, turning around with his arms firmly crossed over his chest and a stern expression on his face, (much like earlier before).

"S-Sorry. . ." Link quickly apologized; rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous grin.

"Uh. . . Can you repeat that?" Kirby asked, imitating Link's gesture.

Mewtwo made a noise that resembled a sigh before shaking his head disapprovingly. "_You really don't change much over the years_,_ Link,_" he said, freezing the Hylian. He laughed and uncrossed his arms. "_I know who you are and that you wish to remain hidden from _them."

The boy was suddenly afraid. "Are you. . ." he only managed to say; frowning heavily at the telepathic creature.

"_Of course_,_ I will not_," Mewtwo answered. "_Your secret will be safe with us. Am I right, Kirby_?"

The little pink warrior nodded and smiled before looking suddenly clueless. "What secret?" he asked.

"Um, Kirby," Link began, hesitantly. Two oval eyes turned to look at him curiously. "I've been hiding something from you. . ."

"_It would be pointless to try to explain to the child_, _Link_," Mewtwo informed in a sullen tone. Kirby looked back and forth between the Hylian and the telepathic creature, highly confused.

"Explain what? I wanna know! Tell me! Tell me!" Kirby cried, grasping Link's arm and hopping up and down. "Link, tell me!"

Grinning amusingly, the young blond held his hand on top of Kirby's body to prevent him from hopping. "Okay, okay. I'll tell you!" Link said with a chuckle. Kirby smiled and waited; still holding tightly to Link's arm. "Haven't you ever wondered why I didn't want to see. . . your other friends?"

"No, not at all," Kirby answered, slowly.

"Hmm, well, do you remember what I said about meeting. . . the other Link?"

"Big Link?"

"Yeah. . . Him."

Kirby released his grip and looked thoughtful for a moment before clapping his hands together. "Ah! I remember! You said it was a bad idea _because_!"

The Hylian smirked. "Heh. That's because. . ."

"Because. . . ?"

"Big Link is. . . me," Link finally finished with a downcast glance. He didn't really know how Kirby would react and he didn't want to see. But when Kirby's confused tone broke the short moment of awkward silence, Link couldn't help but smirk.

"Huh? How can you be Big Link when you're little?" the pink ball questioned.

The Hylian nervously smiled. "Well, I'm not _really_ him. . . I mean, I _am_ but you see. . ." he trailed off for he couldn't seem to come up with a good answer; leaving Kirby looking absolutely baffled.

The small little guy blinked a few times before raising his brow. "Huh? You _are_ Big Link? But you're little!" he said again.

Link sighed while Mewtwo shook his head amusingly. "_You should have listened to me_," he boasted before lowering his gaze at the bewildered Kirby. "_Do not worry so much about it_, _Kirby_. _What is more important is that you keep Link's presence a secret from the others_."

"Oh? Is it because you're shy?" the pink creature asked the boy, forgetting the puzzling thought from before.

Trying to explain the truth to a child like Kirby was difficult, so Link decided to go along. Quirking a small grin on his lips, he nodded. "Yeah, I'm really shy," he said, slightly blushing from his lie. "So don't tell anyone I'm here, okay? Can you promise me that?"

Kirby seemed disappointed. "Aww, I wanted you to meet everyone that would be in the tournament," he replied with a pout but soon, a smile replaced it. "But okay, I promise! I won't tell anyone!"

Pleased and relieved, Link patted Kirby on the top of his body and broadened his grin. "Thanks, Kirby. You're the best!"

"_Do be warned_, _however_," Mewtwo began, giving the children a serious look, "_Marth and Roy have already told the Princess and the Hero_-" Link immediately tensed, "_so do not be careless if you do not wish to be found._"

Exhaling his breath in a slow pace, Link brushed a hand through his bangs. "Should I stay here then?"

"No! You should stay with me!" Kirby suggested happily. "You can hide in my room!"

"I don't know," Link answered, hesitantly.

"_It should be safe if you two are careful_," Mewtwo told them, making the little pink ball bounce joyfully on his red shoes.

"I will! I promise! I won't let anyone find you, Link!"

"_What do you suggest_?" the pale one asked the blond boy.

The Hylian glanced down at Kirby, seeing the little fellow pleading with his big, dark eyes. It was hard to reject such an adorable look. Giving up his doubt, he grinned and nodded. "Okay, I'll stay with Kirby."

Hearing the news brought great joy to rise within the little pink ball as he gleefully hopped on his feet. Link laughed at his behaviour but soon stopped as he looked at the wisest of the group. "Mewtwo," he slowly began but was soon cut off.

"_If you wish to know why you are here_, _I cannot tell you_," the pale creature answered, disappointing the Hylian. "_Perhaps, there is a purpose for you to be here but I cannot say for sure. The answer may come to you someday but for now_, _it'd be best if you stay low_."

A purpose?

Such a statement made the boy grow weary with thought. What exactly was he supposed to do in a world where he truly did not belong? Not to mention that he was in the _wrong_ timeline. No answer came to his mind and he quickly diminished the question.

"_I will teleport you to Kirby's dormitory where you should remain hidden_," Mewtwo continued, rising into the air. Kirby's joyful dance subsided and he soon grabbed Link's hand as Mewtwo approached the boy. "_There is also one more thing you should be aware of_."

"And what would that be?" Link raised an eyebrow after craning his head up to meet Mewtwo's gaze.

"_Beware of Gannondorf_."

- - - - -

A/N: I hope you all liked this chapter! Being a slow updater, the next chapter may take another long while. But do be ready for some surprises! Young Link's going to have a hard time. . . Hope you review! Well, until I update, take care!


	4. Honestly Secretive

Chapter 4: Honestly Secretive

Kirby watched the sun set over the horizon out on the balcony before hopping off the railing and back inside his room. He was careful not to make too much noise because his new friend was sound asleep on his giant, luxurious bed.

The boy had fallen asleep shortly after taking a long bath, (after Kirby showed him how to operate the facilities in the bathroom first).

The little, pink warrior smiled sadly at his new roommate. Link seemed rather upset after Mewtwo had brought them back to Kirby's room and the Star Warrior had no idea why. Seeing the boy upset made Kirby feel the same.

Was it because of what Mewtwo had said; that he couldn't answer all of little Link's questions?

_Or was it. . .?_ Kirby pondered thoughtfully as he gazed out the balcony window, finally coming to a possible conclusion. After Mewtwo had mentioned the name "Gannondorf," that was when Link began to look troubled.

Kirby wondered why Mewtwo had given such a warning. Sure, Gannondorf was a rather scary fellow, which gave the pink warrior the intention that he was naturally evil as well as dangerous. . .

Oh, that may be why. . .

The small fighter softly smiled. Little Link must be afraid of Gannondorf!

Kirby remembered Big Link's heroic tale; where he fought the dark warlock to save his world. Since little Link was from Hyrule (and had also mentioned something or other about being related to Big Link), he was probably afraid to hear that the man that once terrorized his land, was very near; in the exact same building they were staying in.

Ever since Kirby had arrived for the tournament a few days ago, he hadn't seen the warlock yet. But he had heard that the man was around.

It didn't matter, though. The proud little Star Warrior made a little promise to protect his new friend (as well as keeping that other promise). If Link was afraid of Gannondorf, then Kirby will keep that man away the best he could.

Before he had the chance to hop into bed, a knock sounded on his door. "Visitors!" he chirped happily. "Oops!" He quickly lowered his voice; remembering that Link was sleeping.

Bounding towards the door that was made specifically for one as small as he, Kirby could recall Mewtwo's words: _". . . keep Link's presence a secret from the others."_

Little Link was both Kirby's and Mewtwo's secret.

Drawing a deep breath, Kirby grabbed the handle, twisted it slowly, then rushed out and closed the door just in time before smacking into the person he was to greet.

"Whoa, Kirby!" came Mario's surprised voice.

The pink warrior bounced back to his feet with a small giggle and apologized. "Sorry about that, Mario! I was. . . I was on my way to get something to eat. Want to come?"

Mario grinned. "I was about to ask you the same thing! Luigi, the Princess and I were wondering if you'd like to join us for a royal dinner."

Kirby's eyes lit up with excitement. "R-Really?! I'd love to!" he cried with a big smile. "I'll ask Lin-" He immediately covered his mouth with his hands to prevent himself from spewing his secret. Kirby looked nervously at Mario who raised a questioning brow.

"Ask Link? I already did, but he and Zelda have something to do," he said, bringing a gloved hand to rub his chin.

Kirby mentally sighed in relief.

"Oh, that reminds me," the Italian plumber continued, "They were looking for you earlier today. I think they said something about it being important."

"Something important?!" the Star Warrior cried. "Oh no! I should go see them right now then!"

Mario looked disappointed. "Aw, really?" he said with a small frown.

"Oh. . . I'm sorry, Mario," Kirby apologized sadly. He clapped his hands together. "I know! You can ask Lin-" Again, Kirby clamped his hands over his mouth to stop himself.

Mario gave him a weird look. "I _already_ asked Link and you were going to see him, remember?"

Kirby felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment. "Oh, right!" he said with a highly nervous laugh. Rubbing the top of his body anxiously, Kirby grinned and began to stroll down the hall with Mario right behind. "I kinda forgot. . . But I hope I can join you guys next time!"

"Heh, yeah. Next time then!" the plumber agreed; waving goodbye to the small warrior.

- - - - -

Nightmares were never a good thing for Link. They always resulted in him waking up in cold sweat and screaming at the top of his lungs in the middle of the night. He really hated them.

Sitting awake on the bed that did not belong to him, the boy ran a hand through his damp hair and drew a calming breath.

He just had one of those horrifying nightmares except this time, he couldn't remember it. Not being able to recall such a dream that shook his nerves and left him uptight, made him worry.

He glanced around the dark room, suddenly remembering that he was with Kirby. However, the little pink ball was nowhere to be seen.

"Kirby?" he quietly called out. Hearing no response, he frowned and hopped off the bed. The plush, soft carpet was comfortable to walk on with his bare feet.

There was such a thing as a moon in this world and its light shone through the balcony windows. Outside, Link could see the many lights that dazzled the city way, way down below. They looked like stars. It was a beautiful scene.

"Kirby?" he called again. He wondered where the little warrior could be. Link certainly hoped that he didn't go out to rattle on the Hylian. . .

No, he wouldn't.

The boy shook his head with a small smile. Kirby was a trustworthy friend. Wherever Kirby could have gone was probably somewhere involving food.

Taking a deep breath, Link fumbled with the latch that held the balcony door closed; trying to figure out how to open it. He grinned with success when it opened.

The glass door easily slid open to allow the cool night air into the large room. Though he was tired and exhausted from the restless nights spent in this world, he did not want to go to sleep. Instead, Link decided to lean against the railing of the balcony to stare off at the strange city at a frightful height to shake away his worries.

- - - - -

"We heard that you made a new friend, Kirby. I was wondering if we could meet him."

_Don't tell them!_ Kirby reminded himself.

He blinked and tilted his body as if he didn't understand what Zelda had just said. "Friend? What friend?" he asked. He did his best to hide his nervousness by staring at the wall behind the Princess.

Zelda looked a little surprised. She glanced questioningly at Link who simply shrugged. She was kneeling before Kirby so he wouldn't have to tilt his body so much to look up at her. They were talking within her Highness' bedroom.

"Marth spoke of a new friend you had," she explained.

"Oh. . . Really?"

Link nodded. "Yeah, a kid who looks like me," he said with a little grin. "Is that true?" He plopped himself onto the ground to bring himself to a more comfortable height for Kirby.

Oh, Kirby really, _really_ wanted to tell them.

Don't tell them! Don't tell them!

Resisting the temptation to spew out his secret, he imitated a confused look. "Someone who looks like you, Link? Uh. . . Maybe Marth saw me with your hat!" he said with a giggle.

Link playfully glared and pursed his lips to the side. "You have one of my hats?"

Laughing, Kirby jumped onto the swordsman's head and plucked the green cap off and wore it like he would when he copied the Hylian's power. "Now I do!"

"Hey! That's mine!"

A hand made a grab for Kirby but the little warrior jumped to evade it. He landed safely on the ground only to be suddenly caught by another pair of hands. "Now, now," Zelda said with a small chuckle. "You know Link doesn't like it when his silly hat is taken away."

"It's _not_ silly, Zelda," said Link; defending his cherished item.

The Princess lightly shook her head while Kirby giggled in her grasp. She placed the pink fighter back onto the ground and returned to their previous subject. "So you did not see this child that resembles Link?" she asked.

"Um, no! Not at all!" he exclaimed when he returned Link's hat. Kirby had to turn away to hide his nervous expression.

"Oh. I see," Zelda murmured, sounding disappointed but also relieved. "I apologize for bothering you this late at night."

"Oh, it's no trouble, princess! I wasn't gonna go to bed without getting something to eat first! But Lin-" Kirby gasped and clasped his hands over his mouth.

Both Hylians looked at him oddly. "What was that you were going to say?" Big Link asked with a raised eyebrow. That very same gesture looked _exactly_ like Little Link's. They _had_ to brothers. . . Or something like that.

A secret is still a secret and so is a promise!

Laughing nervously while rubbing the top of his body, Kirby replied: "Oh, nothing! I. . . I-I was talking to myself. I have to go now! So have a goodnight! I'll see you tomorrow!" Kirby was advancing to the door as he said that and when he finished, he was already running down the hall.

"Phew. . ." Kirby breathed a sigh of relief after stopping for a rest in the elevator. "That was close!" Grinning at the fact that he hid his secret from the others, Kirby felt pleased. Not to mention joyful. Keeping his secret was like a fun, little game and he seemed to had enjoyed playing it.

As the elevator rose to his desired floor, Kirby smiled for he couldn't wait till tomorrow to play it again.

- - - - -

A/N: Heh, I've managed to update faster than before. And just in time for the holidays! Hope you all liked it! Please kindly review for I am grateful to all who do. Until next I update again, (which may be awhile since I will now work on my Soul Calibur story), take care!


	5. The Secret Game

A/N: Ahh! Don't kill me! Sorry everyone, lots of things intervened with my fan fiction writing progress. One of those things is a very addicting online game. . . Uh, but anyway, here it is! An update! I hope you forgive me, Ryn, for such a delay.

OOO

****

Chapter 5: The Secret Game

The room swelled with the delicious aroma of breakfast which, to Link's gaping surprise, completely filled the whole room. Well, not _completely_, but almost. Silver trays on metal carts each with many different dishes of food surrounded Kirby's bed. There was practically no path to walk through.

When Kirby closed the door after receiving his last order, he bounded up into the air and gently floated towards the waiting Hylian. Link never knew that Kirby was capable of flying by holding his breath and flapping his stubby hands.

With a quick puff of his breath, the little pink ball landed softly on his bed and grinned at the boy. "So, so Link, what do you want to eat first?" he asked. "I ordered every breakfast item they have on the menu and doubled it!"

Link slowly scanned around the room in awe. "You ordered _all_ of this? Wow, how are we gonna eat it all?" he wondered, grabbing a dish in delight. The pile of flat, golden, square-shaped things that contained many smaller squares in the middle looked rather odd, but it didn't matter for they smelled absolutely delicious.

"Oh, don't worry! I asked Mewtwo to join us!" the tiny warrior exclaimed. He too grabbed the same looking breakfast meal off a different tray and set it on the bed. "He should be here soon!"

Right then, a familiar, pale figure materialized right outside the large window door of the deck. Mewtwo's back was towards them, but when he turned around and saw the catastrophe that laid in Kirby's quarters, he slowly shook his head and disappeared again. In an instant, the creature remerged within the room, hovering over the two.

"Hi, Mewtwo!" the little warrior cried.

"_Kirby, you mustn't draw such suspicions,_" replied the floating Mewtwo. His tone reflected a sigh.

Kirby looked baffled. "Suspicions? What suspicions?"

Link stopped before taking a bite out of the square thing in his hand and gave Mewtwo a worried look.

The pale creature crossed his arms. "_Everyone is wondering why you have not come down for breakfast. You are always the first one to be there._"

"I-Oh, right!" said Kirby with a sheepish giggle. "Then I should go down there!" Before he could hop off the bed, Mewtwo reached out a hand and stopped him.

"_Don't worry. I told them that you are running a small errand for me,_" said Mewtwo. His golden eyes became stern as he gave the child a warning, "_Be more careful, Kirby._"

The round, little ball frowned apologetically. "I-I will, Mewtwo! I promise!" Kirby's face then brightened when he remembered all the food in his room. "Grab something to eat! I ordered double everything!"

Link couldn't help but grin when he saw Mewtwo slowly blink at what Kirby had just said. "_Kirby, ah - never mind. You know I rarely eat."_

"Aww, but try something! Today's a special day because Link is here!" the little ball cried joyfully as he bounced on the bed.

"Yeah, try something!" Link chimed in. "We can't eat all of this ourselves."

Mewtwo smirked, almost amusingly. "_I wouldn't doubt that_," he replied, glancing down at Kirby who looked pleadingly at him. "_Sorry, little one, but that look will not work on me._"

Kirby pouted.

"_I must return to the others before they begin to suspect me as well._"

Before Link could say a word, Mewtwo vanished silently into the air.

OOO

"Come on! This way!"

Kirby beckoned the boy to follow with a small wave of his rounded hand. Link took a careful peek around the corner, making sure it was clear, before quickly dashing across the adjacent corridor to where the pink warrior waited.

With his heart pounding vigorously in his chest, Link anxiously trotted behind Kirby as they sneaked through the hotel once again.

Together, they leaned carefully around the corner from where they hid, catching sight two short, odd looking men with moustaches. One wore red and the other one, the taller of the two, wore green. And both were casually walking down the hall, in Kirby's and Link's direction.

Kirby let out a small gasp. "Oh no! They're coming," he hastily whispered as he frantically looked about in the corridor he and Link stood in.

Soon, the men's voices could be heard and Link began to panic. He should have known that staying in Kirby's bedroom all day was a better idea than going out on an adventure.

"I know!" said the pink warrior, shoving the Hylian back down where they came. "Quick, hide in here!" Kirby cried, indicating to the nearest door beside them.

Nodding quickly, Link grabbed the golden knob, twisted it, then rushed in with one quick breath. He leaned against the door and held his breath, fearing that his breathing was too loud that it could be heard through the polished door. He listened carefully through the door, trying to silent out the loud, rapid beating of his heart.

He heard the voices of the two short men, chatting casually with Kirby on the other side of the door.

Link had expected that the two men did not suspect a thing since, by the sound of it, Kirby was playing good in his part. (Although, it sounded like the little warrior was awfully nervous.) But one thing Link didn't expect was that there was someone else in the room.

"Hey kid. What're you doing in here?"

Link almost yelped in fright but instead had slapped a hand over his mouth and turned sharply around. Even though he left his weapons and equipment in Kirby's dorm, he held up his guard to the stranger in the room.

It was a woman standing in the middle of the hotel room; one hand on the hip and her other arm freely by her left side. Neat, blonde bangs partially covered her blue eyes. Her soft, pale face formed a questioning glare that was neither friendly nor vulgar. A skin-tight blue suit was all she wore over her entire body and Link couldn't help but stare, appalled at her appearance. It was such an odd thing to wear!

The woman raised an eyebrow after noticing the boy staring.

"Oh! Uh-Well-I, uh. . ." Link fumbled his words. He scratched the back of his head, feeling very hot. "I was, um, looking for something!"

"Looking for something?" she repeated, looking quite disbelieved. "What are you looking for?"

"Uh. . . Well. . ." the boy quickly looked around the room to find an answer.

The woman took a step closer and cocked a crooked grin. "You're not looking for anything, are you?"

"I-"

"You're actually hiding."

"N-No! I'm not. . . Really. . ."

Link was trapped. The woman pursed her lips and crossed her arms, taking a step closer. He couldn't go back through the door since, well, Kirby and his friends were waiting behind it. (Link could still hear Kirby having a conversation with those little men.)

"Really?" the woman asked, tilting her head.

"Yeah! Really!" Link blurted out, which he regretted doing since it sounded so suspicious. He nervously grinned.

"Then what are you looking for?" The blonde girl rolled her eyes around her room. "That somehow ended up in here?"

His stomach clenched with anxiety as he tried to think something up. "Something. . . Important?" he mumbled timidly. _Ugh! What a horrible lie!_

He had to admit it; he was no good liar.

Just then, he heard Kirby's high squeal of farewell to his friends and the door quickly swung open and closed. (How the pink fighter can reach the doorknob that fast was beyond Link's imagination.) With a loud gasp, Kirby froze right beside the Hylian when he saw the woman in the room.

"Kirby, you're behind this aren't you?" said the woman, raising an eyebrow and smiling amusingly.

Kirby blinked, regaining his senses. He smiled sheepishly. "S-Samus? What're you doing here?" he asked, turning red around the cheeks.

"What am I doing here? My other room was too big for my taste so I moved here," she explained before going back to the previous matter. "Alright, spill it," she ordered, returning to her previous stance; hand on hip, head cocked to the side. "What's going on? And who's your friend, Kirby?"

"Um, uh. . . Samus. . . You see. . ." Kirby stammered, rubbing his hands together.

Link smiled inwardly at his friend, seeing how Kirby was trying desperately hard to hide his secret. "Alright," the boy answered, finally giving up, "I'll tell you."

Kirby gasped shockingly at him. "Link! But you-" Kirby quickly covered his mouth, realizing he had just revealed Link's identity.

"It's okay, Kirby," the young Hylian assured his friend.

"Link?" the woman repeated the name, looking a bit surprised. She looked between Kirby and Link before resting her eyes on the Hylian. "That's your name?"

"Yes, my name is Link."

Kirby bounded up to Samus with a pleading look. "Samus! Please keep this a secret!" he cried, sounding almost tearful.

The woman looked worried at the little fellow. "What? What's going on?" she softly asked, kneeling down to place a gentle hand on Kirby.

"Do you promise to keep this a secret?" the pink warrior pleaded, grabbing her hand.

"Alright, alright. I promise. Now what is it?"

Kirby turned to Link and the boy nodded. "It'll probably sound really weird," Link began, scratching his hooded head.

The woman only blinked in response and Link continued right after, gaining a new friend in the strange, new world.

OOO

A/N: A little short, I know. It's tough to juggle my time around nowadays with finals approaching in April. I'll try to update as soon as I can! I promise! If not. . . Then have some patience? Until the next update, take care!


	6. Discover

A/N: I know it's been a very long time since the last update and I apologize. Many of you have probably given up on waiting but that's all right, I don't blame any of you. For those who are still around, enjoy this next update!

**Chapter 6: Discover**

"I do not lie. I speak the truth of what I had seen."

"Yeah, even _I_ saw the kid with him."

Zelda pursed her lips and frowned at the two swordsmen. "But Kirby does not lie either," she said, "He told us that he has never seen the child."

The Hylian beside her glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. "You know," Link began, "Kirby was acting kinda suspicious back there. He could be hiding something."

The princess furrowed her brow while Marth smirked and crossed his arms. "Indeed. He must be hiding the boy's presence from us," he claimed, confidently. "I say we further question him."

Zelda shook her head. "We will not do such a thing," she replied with a stern expression. "If Kirby does not want us to know then let it be. Eventually, he will tell us the truth so let us… _keep_ an eye on him."

There was a small chuckle coming from the Hero. "You mean _spy_ on Kirby?" Link asked with a snide grin.

"I said no such thing," she returned, giving him a sideways look and a tiny smirk.

The red-haired warrior raised his arms behind his head and leaned against the wall of the prince's room. "Aww, waiting's no fun," he said with a pout. "But we _are_ telling the truth, Your Highness. There was a kid with the little guy that looked so much like Link."

She shook her head again. "I do not believe either of you are lying… but, as I had said before, if Kirby wishes for this child to be kept secret from us, then we should not force the truth from him."

Roy deepened his pout while Marth let out a disappointed sigh. The young prince then brightened his expression and rubbed his chin with a finger. "Hmm, so you are saying that it is okay to _spy_ on the Star Warrior, right?"

Zelda glowered at the royal swordsman who smiled mischievously at her. "Do not be rash," she told him, folding her arms as if to show her refusal to the young man's suggestion. However, her curiosity over the entire situation dropped her guard. "To spy on our friend is something I would not do…"

"But…?" Marth raised an eyebrow after she trailed off.

"But…" Zelda continued, "I'm rather worried about this boy's identity. If he _is_ who you think he is, then there might be dire consequences."

Link let out a laugh. "Relax, Zelda," he assured her with a pat on her shoulder. "Like there could be a younger me running around."

"It's true!" both Roy and Marth blurted out in unison.

"Nah, no way," the Hylian warrior disagreed with a wave of a hand.

Zelda frowned, deep in thought. "But if it _were_ true, then that must mean something…" she trailed off quietly. Not wanting to discuss it in more detail, (and most importantly, wanting to avoid being stared at), she turned to the door. "Perhaps it might be best if we _do_ keep an eye on Kirby to identify this boy," she suggested, receiving a perplexed look from both Link and Roy and a satisfied grin from Marth. "But, however, we should keep this a secret amongst ourselves. I don't want the others to know about Kirby's new friend…" She narrowed her eyes in warning. "Especially Gannondorf."

After hearing what she had said, Roy visibly flinched and nervously shifted his gaze to the side. "Oh, uh… About that…" he mumbled.

"You _told_ someone?" Zelda exclaimed with a gasp, quickly turning around. "Who knows about this?"

Roy scratched his head. "We sorta told Mewtwo about it this morning," he truthfully answered with a sheepish smile.

Relieved, Zelda relaxed. "Oh, good. Did he believe you?"

"Well… he said something like… well, uh… he said…" the redhead stammered, obviously not sure how to relay the exact words the psychic Pokemon had explained to both Roy and Marth. "Aww, man. He used so many big words."

"Anyway, in the end it didn't seem like he believed us," Marth finished for his confused comrade. "I wasn't too certain, though, if he did or did not believe our words. He quickly excused himself before we could ask for a clearer explanation."

Zelda was quite intrigued by the new information. "Is that right?" she pondered aloud. "Well, I know Mewtwo would not spew rumours and alike carelessly so it should be all right." Placing her hands on her hips, she gave the two swordsmen, including Link, a firm warning: "All of you must keep this secret. No more slip of the tongue."

The Hylian blinked at her. "Why're you looking me like that?" he asked in bewilderment.

The princess sighed and rolled her eyes while the two behind the Hero responded with an "Understood, princess."

With that, Zelda gestured for the warrior in green to follow. "Come on, Link. Let's go see what Gannondorf is up to."

-0-0-

Samus blinked a few times then tilted her head to the side. "Really?" she asked, breaking the awkward silence that fell in her room.

The young Hylian nodded, resting upon an offered chair. "Yeah… really," he said quietly, red in the cheeks from his odd explanation. "I know it sounds… uh…"

"Unbelievable?" the woman finished. "It really is, kid."

The boy frowned as well did Kirby. She smirked at them and lightly laughed. "But I believe you," she added, surprising Link. "It's hard not to notice the similarities between you and the older version of you. If I did a bioscan…" She snickered to herself as she trailed off.

Kirby seemed a bit confused but also relieved. Forming a grateful smile, he bounded up to Samus and said, "You promise to keep this a secret, right?"

"Of course, I won't tell anyone."

Link grinned with relief. "Thanks… I don't mean to trouble you or anything," he said nervously.

"Heh. It's no problem," Samus replied with a smile. "Actually, it's a pretty interesting situation we got here this year. Nothing like this had happened in the previous tournaments. Maybe it's because Master Hand is looking for more participants but…"

"Master who?" the boy quickly asked.

Kirby was first to answer. "Master Hand, Link!" he chirped, joyfully. "Master Hand is the one who brought us here!"

The young Hylian didn't quite understand. "What do you mean by that?"

"Uh… well…" Kirby looked thoughtful for a moment before turning to Samus for answers.

Smiling, the blonde woman chuckled at the pink creature. "Look at it this way, kid," she began, "If it weren't for Master Hand I wouldn't have known about Nintendo or the fact that there could be such worlds like yours that could exist. Master Hand is, what the name implies, the master and coordinator of this realm to an extent."

Link gasped in awe. "Like a Goddess?"

Samus furrowed her brow and perked her lips. "No, not like a God or Goddess. Master Hand is more like, uh. . . an organizer, in the simplest of terms. You see, Master Hand is the one that form these tournaments between each or a team of Smashers every so often."

With a happy giggle, Kirby bounded right beside the boy. "Yeah! It's been almost two Popstar years since the last tournament. So I'm really excited to be here again!"

The woman joined in on Kirby's excitement. "It felt like forever to me," she said with a big grin, "This'll be our third time competing."

Link smiled for them. Though rather jealous of the two's opportunity to take part in such a thrilling expedition, he couldn't help but feel happy for them to reunite in such an honourable way. The moment quickly faded for the Hylian however, when he still did not have any answers to his most important questions.

He faked a cough to catch the two fighters' attention. "Do you think I could meet this Master Hand?" he slowly asked, making sure not to offend either Kirby or Samus.

"Meet the master? Hmm…" Samus pursed her lips in thought. "Well, there is a chance to see him before the tournament begins. But I'm not sure how easy it'll be with all the preparations still going on." She added the last part after seeing Link's face brighten.

Frowning slightly, the boy nodded then grinned. "Then let's try it!" he announced, jumping to his feet. "I want to meet this Master Hand and ask him some questions." He then waited for the two to either join in or refuse.

Bounding on his toes, Kirby smiled and hopped over to the boy. "I'll help you, Link! Let's all go meet Master Hand!" he shouted, making Link's grin broaden with hope.

Shrugging, Samus let out a little sigh. "Well, all right. But don't say that I didn't say so when we can't find Master Hand anywhere or find the time to speak with him," she stated, placing her hands on her hips like before.

-0-

"Samus, it's this way," Kirby pointed down the next hallway, opposite of where the blonde woman was going. "Don't you know your way around yet?"

Grumbling, the girl quickly turned on her toes and headed back towards the pink warrior and smirking Hylian. "I just got here, you know," she retorted. "It seems like they changed the entire layout … I swear."

Kirby giggled at her. "It's the same as last time. Nothing has changed!" he said, while trotting down the vacant corridor of the tenth floor. "I remember seeing this door. Don't you remember seeing this door? Room 1027?" The Hylian glanced up at the foreign numbers, unable to make out the numbers the pink ball had said.

Samus sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm sure all the room numbers are intact," she grumbled, mostly to herself. "If only I had my suit on, I'd be able see the whole building's structure… Damn, why didn't I put it on?"

Link stared curiously at her, wondering what she was mumbling about. Shortly after agreeing to aid the young Hylian in finding the one called 'Master Hand', the trio immediately left Samus's dormitory. Kirby had mentioned for her not to forget her '_suit'_ but she had said that it wasn't necessary.

The boy grinned inwardly at the woman. _Now_ she needed it. Well it was unfortunate for they had already sneaked their way to the tenth floor via the stairs and Link did not want to go back up seven floors to retrieve that suit she had mentioned.

Kirby was told by the other Smashers that the tenth floor was deemed a desolate floor since no one occupied any of the rooms. So it was safe to stroll around and talk normally without having anyone to discover them. They had just recently left the exit staircase of the east end of the building to go down the stairs on the west end for they heard someone climbing up the stairs a few floors below and hastily entered the tenth floor.

"Just out of curiosity," Link began, resting his arms behind his head as he walked. "There's so many rooms and yet you guys chose the rooms on the highest floor. Wouldn't it be easier to, you know, pick a room that's not a hundred floors above ground?"

"I never knew there were a hundred floors!" Kirby exclaimed in surprise as he gawked at the Hylian.

Laughing out loud, the boy shook his head and patted the gullible creature on top of its body. "I was only exaggerating."

"Oh…" Kirby appeared to be disappointed.

"Well, you see, it's the matter of –" What Samus had said after that was ignored by the young Hylian when he suddenly felt an unnerving presence in the air. Something dark and impetuous lingered nearby and the boy could easily sense it. The others, however, did not appear to notice.

Link's pace had slowed down before they had reached the corner, causing the two to ask what was wrong. Frowning, the boy slightly shrugged his shoulders. "I… don't know. Do you guys sense anything?" he asked nervously, knowing that it probably sounded strange for him to ask.

"Sense… what?" Samus questioned. The boy shook his head but when they turned that one last corner, the answer was waiting right before them…

"I have been waiting for you, _brat_," the dark man announced, his fierce golden eyes narrowing at the only Hylian while an all-too-familiar sneer rested upon his lips. "It has been a while, hasn't it, _Hero _of Time?"

-0-

A/N: I hope some of you aren't disappointed with this chapter! It'll get more intense later on, that is, if I ever find time to update. Until then, take care!


	7. Protector of Friends

**Chapter 7: Protector of Friends**

* * *

Everything around him seemed to darken as both fear and hatred tangled into one emotion. Frozen completely with his breath taken away, Link dared not to speak in the presence of the _evil_ man before him. 

He could hear his friends talking, but he did not understand what they had said for the boy paid no attention to them. Instead, all his mind was capable of focusing on was the one question that kept repeating: _How can _he_ be here_?!

Mewtwo did not lie. Ganondorf was indeed lurking about. And now, the Hylian had regretted in not listening closely to the wise one's warning.

The Gerudo took a step forward and Link instinctively took one step back. Golden eyes gleaming, the sneer on the king's face broadened before erupting into a forsakenly familiar laugh. "What's the matter, boy?" Ganondorf taunted; his tone deep and vengeful. "Surprised to see me?"

Before he could take another step, Kirby bounded right between him and the boy. "You! You're Ganondorf!" the little warrior cried, dabbing one of his stubby hands at the tall man. "You stay away from Link!"

Link breathed in surprise when he saw the brave creature stand up to the Evil King. He had never seen Kirby look so angry. In fact, Link had never thought that the small fighter was capable of showing any anger.

Samus as well stepped between the Hylian and Gerudo, a stern expression upon her face. "What do you want, Ganondorf?" she asked, crossing her arms.

The man shot them a scowl so vile that many would have turned tail and ran. However, the two warriors that faced him were not even fazed. "Begone, I have no business with you meddling pests," he snarled, waving at them to move.

The woman snorted in disgust. "Pests?! How dare you!" she spat in return. "What business you have with the boy will have to wait until I wipe the floor clean with your _ugly_ face."

Surprised by Samus's retort, Link could only gape at her in astonishment for he had never seen anyone stand up to the Evil King so easily. (For her to be in the tournament along with the Gerudo, that would mean she was as strong as him!)

Ganondorf huffed in annoyance as he glowered at the taunting woman. "Foolish woman…" he lowly growled, clenching a fist as he closed his eyes. They were all taken by surprise when the Gerudo made a sudden move without a warning. (Of course, that was to be expected from a being as evil as him.)

Taking the initiative to his advantage, Ganondorf was already in front of Samus before she even realized it and slammed his palm, pulsing with dark energy, right into her chest.

With a choked cry, she flew back from the impact; right into Link who tried to catch her but was overthrown by the force as well by her larger size. Landing hard onto his back with Samus right on top, the boy was momentarily stunned before feeling the weight on top of him roll off.

Grimacing in pain, Link rose to his feet. "S-Samus! Are you okay?!" he asked in panic as she clutched her chest and coughed.

Wincing, she nodded. "Yeah," she groaned breathlessly before sputtering a curse at the warlock. "Damn it, I knew I should've brought my suit!" Her eyes widened in fear. "Kirby!"

The Hylian turned sharply to witness the brave round fighter squirming within the dark one's grasp. Before Link could scream at the Gerudo to unhand his friend, the man had thrown the pink warrior into the floor with an awful thud.

Kirby's light, squishy body bounced a few times from the throw before Samus dove and caught him in her arms.

Deeply angered by what the dark man had done, Link had thrown away all his fear and leapt in front of the injured pair. He heard Samus command him to stay back but he simply ignored her. That despicable man before him had just hurt his new friends!

"What are you doing?!" Link demanded, glaring hatefully at the warlock. He instinctively reached for his sword and shield but felt nothing. Then he regrettably remembered that he had left his equipment in Kirby's room. Gritting his teeth, he mentally cursed at himself but did not falter his composure.

Ganondorf laughed at the seething child, seemingly enjoying the sight of pain he inflicted on the young Hero. "Why, I am simply ridding us of those pests," the Gerudo answered with a widening sneer. Seeing Link tremble with anger broadened the sneer into a malevolent grin. "Come with me then, brat," he suddenly began, "and I will no longer hurt them."

"What?!" the Hylian shrieked in confusion.

"You heard me. Come with me and I'll spare their useless lives."

"No, don't listen to him!" Link heard Kirby protest before seeing the pink warrior jump in front. The boy was relieved to see his friend unhurt. "Don't go with him, Link! I'll protect you!"

Samus was back on her feet as well and stood right beside the round fighter protectively in front of the young Hylian. In her hand, she held a strange mechanical device that contained a small silver metal barrel with a handle and trigger underneath almost similar to the crossbow triggers Link had seen in Hyrule. "For that cheap shot, I'm going to _polish_ the entire floor with your damn rear end!" she hissed at the warlock. She then shot a sideways glance at Link. "Get outta here, kid. Leave him to us!"

Link shook his head. The boy's reply was cut off by Ganondorf's snarl. "Annoying vermin! I have no time to play with fools like you!" As he spoke, an evil purplish mist surrounded his entire body as he lifted himself off the ground. The warlock's form of levitation differed from Mewtwo's for it was controlled by black magic rather than psychic ability.

With eyes a dangerous yellow glow, Ganondorf appeared less Gerudo and more of a demon as he towered over the three in the confined hallway.

All three had tensed at the sheer power the evil man possessed; fearing at what the Evil King was going to do. They all braced themselves when Ganondorf let out a roar, sending the gathered dark energy outwards with a powerful force.

Link felt the wave hit him like a moving wall, sending him flying an unknown distance backwards. He felt a jarring pain flow through him when he struck what felt like another wall. Knocked senseless, the boy failed to move from where he laid. He heard muffled sounds before hearing the distinct echo of heavy footsteps coming closer.

Before his mind could process what had happened, a powerful hand wrap around his neck and he was lifted off the ground in a choking manner. Blue eyes snapped open to meet a pair of fierce golden orbs glowering venomously at the gasping child. A vengeful sneer widened upon the warlock's lips as he tightened his hold to the point of being excruciating.

Link had tried to pry himself free but his efforts were fruitless against someone who was much, much bigger and stronger than him. The boy scratched and kicked with all his might but could not loosen the Gerudo's iron grip.

_Air! _

He couldn't breathe! The young Hylian desperately tried to draw air into his burning lungs but his consciousness was beginning to fade. He felt his arms weaken; falling uselessly to his sides as darkness clouded his sight.

He then felt a bitter cold envelope him followed by the sensation of falling through the air. What was happening, Link did not know nor was he even able to find out when he felt his consciousness slip into the world of nightmares.

* * *

Ganondorf's power was unexpected. Samus had never seen the dark warlock possess such abilities during those times she witnessed him in past battles in the last tournament. (Of course, during the Smash Tournament, _the Field_ is always activated to even the fighting ground between each contestant.) 

She was practically oblivious to what the man could do out of the Field's effect. The warlock gave off a vibe of being intentionally evil not only by his looks but by his general presence. Just being near the guy sent chills down her back.

And from coming from different worlds, her bioscan on him resulted in no information. Truthfully, she had been thankful for not ever having to face the dark man in battle in the previous tournament. But now, she wished she had…

So caught unprepared by the full-powered warlock, the bounty hunter was unaware of what the man could pull. The mysterious energy force he launched right at her and Kirby had stricken her with both fear and surprise.

She felt her shoulder slam hard into some hard surface, (either it be wall or floor, she did not know), followed by a rush of pain. Moaning through clenched teeth, she could hardly withstand the awful throbbing in her arm as she forced herself to get up.

That damn Ganondorf… he was still around!

Grunting with effort, she ignored the burning pain in her chest that the sleazy jerk had inflicted earlier and gathered her strength to move. When she was aware enough of her surroundings, she had already been too late…

The warlock had the Hylian child in his grasp and before she could react, a dark purple mist, much like before, surrounded them both. But then, the bounty hunter caught sight of a pink blob rushing into the thick smoke before they all vanished.

Samus gasped at the empty space, realizing that the man had most likely teleported away. A minute may had past before she saw something pale appear before her.

"_No… I am too late!_" Mewtwo mentally hissed, seeing the damaged hallway and the lone injured human.

"Mewtwo! Where did he take them?!" the bounty hunter demanded of the psychic creature.

The Pokemon's expression was grim. He shook his head. "_I do not know. His black magic is interfering with my powers… I cannot sense any of them,_" he answered.

Samus let out a growl in frustration, expecting the all-knowing creature to hold the answer. But then, she quickly thought through Mewtwo's words and calmed herself down, slightly. She clenched her fists as she slowly rose to her feet with a downcast stare, all the while wincing from her injuries. "He took them: Kirby and Link. Well, not _Link_-Link, a younger–"

"_I am aware of the child,_" Mewtwo interrupted, (much to her relief for not having to explain the presence of the kid-Link). "_When I sensed danger, I tried to teleport here but found that I could not._"

The bounty hunter knitted her brow. "What do you mean?"

Crossing his thin arms, the Pokemon narrowed his eyes to the burnt walls of the tenth floor. "_Teleportation requires an initial point to a final destination point–_"

"I know that! What did you mean by not being able to teleport _here_?"

Mewtwo appeared irritated by her interruption but Samus easily ignored it and waved her hand to urge him to skip the basics of how to teleport.

"_Teleportation between two points requires an absolute path. However, the path to reach this floor was distorted by Ganondorf's magic. When I teleported, I would appear in a far different final point than what I had in mind._"

The bounty hunter let out a disgruntled sigh as she crossed her arms. "I see… How are we to save them, Mewtwo? What… What is he trying to do?"

"_I have no answer. I cannot peer into the man's thoughts. Truthfully, my power is incapable of penetrating magic of such evil… But there is one… She comes._"

"Who?"

As if on cue, there was an audible ring of the elevator making a stop on their floor down the hall. The two metal doors slid open, revealing the most obvious person who could deal with Ganondorf alongside another familiar face:

"Princess Zelda! Prince Roy!"

"Please, no formalities, Samus," the Hylian princess quickly spoke, dashing towards the two. The red-haired prince smiled grimly and nodded with agreement. They paused before them, appalled by the state of the hallway.

Zelda covered a gasp as she stared at the scorched walls. "So it is true. The child-Link is really…"

"_Indeed_," Mewtwo answered, giving her Highness a slight nod. "_He has taken both him and Kirby._"

"Kirby as well?! But why? What is Ganondorf… No…" Zelda's brow quickly creased with a deep frown. She shook her head in disbelief, but Samus did not know why.

The bounty hunter looked over at her with concern. "What's wrong? What is he going to do?"

The princess grasped both Samus's and Mewtwo's arm. "We need to go to my room, quickly. I will discuss it there with the others."

"With who?" Samus questioned but Zelda again, she did not answer. The hunter felt a hand rest on her shoulder and turning, she saw Roy give her an assuring smile.

"Marth and Link," he whispered in a saddened tone.

Before Samus could question what had happened she felt herself float from where she stood; realizing that they were teleporting.

As quick as a flash of light, their surroundings changed from the damaged hall of the tenth floor to a wide, clean and elaborate room. The bedroom to be more exact.

"What happened down there?"

Samus blinked her eyes as she turned to face the familiar voice. Marth was leaning casually against the wall beside the large bed. His expression was of deep concern as well as anxiety.

Frowning, the bounty hunter focused her attention to the unmoving figure lying on the bed. The young man in green appeared to be sleeping but she knew that that wasn't the case.

"Link… what happened to him?" she asked the group.

Zelda closed her eyes and turned her head to the side. "He collapsed when we were heading towards Ganondorf's room. It was shortly before we sensed Ganondorf's dark magic on the tenth floor that he…" she trailed off, blue eyes opening slightly to rest upon the unconscious Hylian. Her stare then fell on the bounty hunter. "Samus, please tell us what happened."

The blonde hunter nodded. "All right… but I hate having to break a promise to Kirby though…" she began quietly.

* * *

The cold sensation that surrounded his body vanished along with any visible light. He felt his face hit hard cold stone, stopping his fall. Kirby blinked and rubbed his eyes, trying to see in the darkness but it was no use. It was a _completely_ black place. He stiffened his little body and suppressed a cry of surprise when he heard movement in front of him. 

He remembered; that evil man was standing before him. He heard the man yell something before seeing a blinding green flash that caused the Star Warrior to shut his eyes closed. After a second of adjusting to the newfound light, Kirby peeked his eyes open and saw eerie green flames burning atop numerous stone torches, each carved with a different distinct pattern. They were placed in formation of a circle and Kirby was standing in the middle of them.

He was not the only one, though. Standing with his caped back facing the small pink warrior was Gannondorf. The man knelt down on his knee and placed something on the ground before rising. Kirby caught sight of the object on the ground when he rose to his feet – it was Link and he was not moving.

Angry, the Star Warrior brought out his hammer and swung with all his might at the unsuspecting warlock. A resounding thud of wood hitting man was followed by a cry of pain. Ganondorf flew upwards from the impact and in midair, flipped himself over to face his attacker.

"You!" he bellowed, his yellow eyes widening in terrifying anger. "How dare you follow, you wretched creature!" He landed in a crouch a distant away with the unconscious Link lying between the two warriors.

"You hurt Link!" Kirby cried, his eyes glowering at the dark man. "I won't let you hurt him any more! I'm going to _protect_ him!" With that, he bravely charged at the tall Gerudo by leaping over Link and dashing forward.

Ganondorf smirked mockingly. "_You_ protect him?" he taunted with a sinister laugh. "Don't be foolish!" He suddenly lunged forward when Kirby was within hammer-reach. He flew above the pink warrior and brought a glowing purple fist downward expecting to hit the Star Warrior in the face. He missed when Kirby quickly rolled to the side.

Kirby opened his mouth wide and began to draw the man in with his powerful vacuum. Ganondorf reacted instantly by throwing a small purple ball of energy into the pink fighter's gaping mouth.

When the Star Warrior caught the energy ball instead of the Gerudo in his mouth, he tried to swallow to get him again. However, the energy ball grew hot and painful inside him so he quickly spat it back out in the warlock's direction. The purple orb had become a yellow colour and it pelted the man in the stomach, sending the Gerudo backwards _through_ two of the stone torches.

With the warlock down at the moment, Kirby quickly ran to his friend's side. "Link! Are you okay?!" he desperately asked as he shook the boy by the shoulder. Link did not open his eyes. The little pink warrior frowned with worry.

"_Cursed_ little creature…" Ganondorf's harsh, raucous voice echoed around the darkened vicinity. (Despite having the green flames lit, the light did not reach beyond a few feet of the torches. Darkness only waited where the light would not reach.) Kirby braced himself to face the warlock rising to his feet. The man crushed a piece of stone from one of the damaged torches under his boot. "Do you know how long it will take to replace these, pest?!" he growled deeply, twirling around with a swish of his cape.

Instinctively, Kirby tensed and shuddered from the sight of the man's fearsome glowing eyes. That same dark, purplish aura that had surrounded the Gerudo King before was showing again. Kirby quickly shook the fear inside of him away as he prepared himself to battle the evil man.

What happened next happened all too fast for Kirby to even remember. He could only recall seeing Ganondorf's eyes as they disappeared for one brief instant before seeing them reappear, towering above him in the next…

Then there was pain that came from all over his body that sent him sprawling into the world of darkness. It was then that everything felt numb and all he wanted to do was sleep…

* * *

A/N: I hope I didn't disappoint with this chapter! Sorry for the long wait, everyone! I've been busy with real life things. Anyway, I'd love to hear how you all feel about this chapter. Do you think I've captured Ganondorf's character correctly? Or did I make him too... hasty? Review and tell me, please!  



	8. Actions Lead to Consequences

A/N: Hello! I've finally updated after a long while. Sorry! I've been busy with summer school as well as my Soul Calibur fiction. Again, I apologize. So please enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Actions Lead to Consequences**

All eyes in the room were watching her intently. She could practically feel each of the Smashers' stares on the back of her head when she had finished her side of the story as she stared at the wall. It was rather unnerving for she was not really accustomed to being the centre of attention amongst an audience. If she was the centre of attention within a group of attacking Space Pirates, then that was a whole different story.

"And… well, that's what happened before you two came," Samus concluded with a heavy sigh and a shake of her head. "Kirby followed Gannondorf and I hate to admit this… but I don't think he can handle that damn bastard."

Utter silence filled the room. Slowly, Samus turned to face the group, seeing all but one, bearing faces of helplessness. Mewtwo's expression was that of deep thought; with his eyes closed and his arms crossed. The Pokemon hovered above the floor by mere millimeters, appearing as if in a trance.

When Samus laid her eyes on the psychic creature, it was then that Mewtwo spoke first, "_Ganondorf has broken the rules and yet no action has taken place against him. Do you all not find it strange_?"

Zelda nodded, her sapphire blue eyes narrowing at his words. "Indeed," she whispered, placing a delicate gloved finger to her chin. "Ganondorf has committed a crime. Why hasn't Master Hand announced this?" She turned to Roy who seemed most admonished.

The redhead glanced to the side, not from humiliation but from absolute unease. "It didn't take long for Master Hand to find out the incident between me and Link before the last tournament," he murmured as he began to remember.

Marth lightly smiled but soon furrowed his brow. "It didn't even take you two one round until he announced both of your punishments to everyone," the blue-haired prince recalled. He had not moved from his post ever since the others had returned with Mewtwo and Samus.

The bounty hunter nodded in agreement. It was hard to forget the (hilarious) incident between the redhead and the Hylian. At the time of the second Smash Bros. Tournament, Samus, along with Link, Mario and many others, were veteran fighters and they were handed down with the task of accompanying newcomers such as Roy, Marth and Zelda to teach and show them the world of Nintendo. Samus wasn't there at the incident, but she definitely heard about it.

Both Roy and Link were cocky swordsmen looking for a challenge. It was a male thing, obviously. The two ended up getting on each others' nerves from the constant exchange of taunts and mockery and so they fought out in public which was a prohibited law. Master Hand had appeared before them in rage soon after the two started and punished them both for disturbing the peace. Their punishment was humiliation – Master Hand had announced their crime out loud in a voice that reached all of Nintendo. Also, they were punished for one round in the tournament by having a Handicap of 7. And humorous enough, both swordsmen lost early because of that.

But it didn't spoil the warriors' moods too much. They both laughed about it soon after and actually joked about it.

Every Smasher had learned their lesson after that. The rules of Nintendo could not be broken.

However, more than one rule had been broken just recently and Master Hand had not even noticed! There was no announcement or anything.

"Something is wrong," Zelda told everyone the obvious. "Ganondorf must have done something to Master Hand. But… I do not know how it could be possible. We need to get to Master Hand's headquarters." She turned to Mewtwo whom nodded.

"_It would be best,_" the Psychic Pokemon responded._ "I have been unable to sense anything at headquarters and I fear that Ganondorf's power is the cause._"

Samus frowned. "We need to search for Kirby and little Link too," she added. "We should split up and get the others to help us."

The redheaded prince stepped forward. "I'll go lead a search," he offered.

It was Marth's turn to step forward. "Very well then. Zelda, Mewtwo and I will head for Master Hand's headquarters. Roy, gather everyone available and do a thorough search. And Samus," He turned faced the bounty hunter. "Stay here with Link."

Blue eyes widened. "What? I want to join in the search as well!" she protested.

The blue-haired young man shook his head lightly, a hint of concern in his eyes. "You're injured, Samus. You should rest," he told her and the others agreed.

"But –"

Zelda walked over and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Leave it to us," she said with an assuring smile. "We'll tell you everything we find when we return. So please, watch over Link while we are gone."

Samus didn't like to be told to stay put out of danger for once. She was always the one that was told to go _into_ the danger. A damn annoying turnaround it was. She had suffered more injuries before and that never stopped her.

But… that was when she was working alone. She was around friends who were willing to look out for her for a change.

However, she always enjoyed being right in the action too. She loved the sense of combat.

With a disgruntled sigh, she finally shrugged and nodded. "All right, I'll stay," she muttered. "You guys be careful. Don't end up like me, huh?"

Zelda smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "We will fine. Well, I hope we will be." She strolled over to Mewtwo. "Will you be able to take us to headquarters?" she asked the creature.

Mewtwo nodded. "_I will be able to reach the gates but no further. Something is distorting the space inside_," he explained.

Marth was already by the Pokemon's side. "I wish you luck on your search, Roy," he told the redhead.

"Same to you all," the redhead returned before leaving the room with a meaningful nod.

The three remaining in the centre of the room gave Samus one last look before they vanished in thin air.

Now that the room was nearly empty and silent, the bounty hunter made her way to Link's side and sat upon the edge of the large mattress. A frown settled on her brow as she watched the sleeping Hylian.

"Link… I'm sorry. I tried to protect you…"

* * *

It was the coldness that woke him up. The icy sensation touched every part of his skin and even the core of his body. He shivered uncontrollably. 

Forcing his eyes open, he saw hardly anything for it was horribly dark. There was very little light coming from numerous small green flames on what seemed like stone pillars that surrounded him.

_Where am I_?

He had no idea where he was or what had happened to him. His head hurt as did his throat. When he moved, his back started to sting with pain.

Wincing through it all, he managed to prop himself into a sitting position. The place was completely intimidating – nothing but a dark abyss waited beyond the circling stone torches. It was eerie and awfully unsettling. Just _where_ was he?

The darkness was as cold as the deepest dungeon and the air held a strong earthly scent. He could assume that he was deep underground. But was he still in Nintendo?

For all he knew, he could be in another world because…

"Ganondorf…" Link whispered when he suddenly remembered the confrontation with the dreaded warlock. He was already up on his feet before realizing it, fighting off a wave of dizziness. Breathing heavily, he had fallen to one knee. A headache started its way to his forehead, throbbing in agony.

He cringed and took a deep breath. In a slower pace, he rose to his feet once more. The boy tuned his senses to detect any danger. Fortunately, there was nothing lurking in the dark. Disturbingly, there was _nothing_ in the dark. Ganondorf was nowhere in sight (well, not that he could see beyond the black abyss but he could definitely tell that the Evil King was not around.)

Just what was the Gerudo planning to do with him? The cursed man had blatantly demanded for Link to follow in return that no more harm would be inflicted to his new friends. The memory brought anger to arise within him.

Samus and Kirby were injured by the evil man and regrettably, Link was unable to do anything. He cursed sharply to the side at the weakness he had portrayed. He didn't know what happened to his friends… Ganondorf had unleashed a powerful wave of energy and struck all three of them.

He was captured now, he knew that. But… for what reason? Was he just left here to rot in the dark?

Blue eyes fell on an empty space where two stone torches were supposed to be placed to complete the circle. The flames could have gone out for all he knew since he couldn't see anything in the shadows. Hm, but that wouldn't make sense… all the other green flames were of the same size.

Link peered at the ground under his feet. He furrowed his brow in frustration, it was too dark to see anything! His boots were hardly even visible.

But he knew that the circle was no decoration. It held a purpose.

Cautiously, he made his way over to the empty gap in the circle. His right foot kicked a piece of stone lying on the ground. Curious, the boy knelt down and felt the ground for it but felt instead more than one piece of stone. The pieces ranged from jagged to smooth, giving him the knowledge that it was a broken pillar.

He headed towards the other possible position for a pillar but ended up tripping over something softer than rock in between the two pillars. Yelping in surprise, Link fell onto his face and groaned in pain.

The thing he tripped on moved from under him and made a tiny noise. "Ow…" it had said. The voice was recognizable.

"Kirby!" the Hylian cried, quickly rolling off his little friend. On his knees, he reached out and touched the pink creature. "Are you all right?"

The round warrior stirred as he regained consciousness. "Oh… Link?" Kirby nearly gasped in surprise. He bounced right up and grabbed the boy's hand in his squishy grasp. "Link! You're okay!" he exclaimed in relief. His happiness soon dwindled when his voice sounded sad. "I thought… You weren't moving… I tried to protect you but Ganondorf – he was strong! Link, I couldn't fight him… I let him hurt you… I'm sorry…"

The young Hylian frowned, his hate for the dark warlock ever growing. He slowly shook his head and placed on a small smile even though Kirby probably couldn't see it. Gently, he patted the round warrior's body and spoke in an assuring tone: "Don't worry, Kirby. I'm all right now." Link glanced to the side as he continued in an angry, reluctant manner. "Ganondorf is a powerful enemy. You shouldn't have fought him in the first place."

He felt Kirby shift his body to look at him. "But Link! I promised to protect you!"

"It's okay. I'm fine now," the boy assured in a happier tone. He sensed the round creature's worries almost disappear. Kirby nodded, squeezing the Hylian's hand. "Ganondorf isn't around; we should find a way out of here."

"It's so dark though," the round warrior whispered. "It wasn't this dark when we first came here."

Link climbed to his feet. "Do you know where we are?"

"No…" He saw Kirby's shadowed form move closer to the centre of the circle. "Before Ganondorf took you away, I grabbed his cape. I saw purple before we ended up here."

_Purple?_ Kirby must have meant the warlock's black magic Link could awfully recall.

"I'm sorry." Link was surprised to hear the pink creature apologize out of the blue. "I tried to fight him but I couldn't. He was too strong."

"Kirby, it's fine," the boy told him softly. "You did this, didn't you? You broke these two pillars?"

Link saw Kirby jump as if caught in a terrible act. "I-It was an accident!" Kirby cried in embarrassment.

Grinning smugly, the Hylian laughed. "No, it's good that you did it. I think Ganondorf needed them for whatever it was he was planning to do."

"Really?" the little one gasped.

"Yes. You've bided us some time. We can find a way out of here before he comes back."

Kirby made a little sound of joy as he grabbed Link's hand. "We should hurry then!" He pulled the boy with him outside the circle of green flames and into the black abyss. "It's so dark, we'll get lost. We need to stick together."

Link nodded and voiced his agreement. "Yeah… Let's be careful." Even though he was determined to find an escape, Link could not help but shiver at the bitter dark. It was a massive void of nothingness that brought a sense of eternal fear.

The dark was absolutely quiet. Their footsteps were the only sound that disturbed it.

Every muscle in Link's body was completely tense. He really didn't like the dark. Blinded, he had to rely on his other senses to navigate through. Kirby was keeping in pace alongside him, his soft hand still held within the boy's grip.

It was admiring to sense that the little fellow wasn't afraid of the darkness. Link, on the other hand, felt a twinge of fright settle within him as they journeyed deeper to wherever. Those other warriors of Nintendo, including his older self – did they know what had happened?

"Don't be afraid, Link," Kirby suddenly spoke up. "I know Samus and the other Smashers are probably looking for us right now."

The Hylian smirked. So the little warrior knew what was bothering him. "Do you think so?"

Kirby gave a little tug on the boy's arm. "They'll find us! Just wait and see!"

As hopeful as it was, Link wasn't too sure how to react to that. He _did_ want to be found and yet he still did not want to be discovered by his older self and Zelda. He truthfully did not look forward to confronting them face-to-face.

Not wanting to let his friend down, he soundly grinned and formed a lie: "I hope they find us soon."

* * *

The first Smasher Roy managed to find first (actually, to _trample_ over first) was Pichu. The redhead had rounded a corner at a quick pace and unexpectedly stepped on the little Pokemon's tail. The poor thing burst into tears. 

"Oh! I'm sorry, Pichu!" the young prince tried to apologize but the mouse continued to sob. Pikachu, the older electric Pokemon frowned and tried to calm the little one down with a supporting hand. Roy knelt down on all fours and hesitantly patted the crying creature on the head. "Hey… I'm sorry, little guy. Don't cry, okay? There's… there's something we have to do."

Pichu sniffed while Pikachu blinked at Roy's tone of voice.

"Kirby's missing," Roy told them. They both squeaked in shock. "Not only Kirby is missing but his friend… Ganondorf took them somewhere. He was the one that caused that 'explosion' on the tenth floor."

The Pokemon made a noise of surprise before worry was evident in their features. "Will you help me, guys? Will you help me get the others to search for Kirby and his friend?"

The yellow mice nodded. Pikachu's face was stern while Pichu wiped its remaining tears away and mimicked the other; its pain forgotten.

Roy stood up and grinned. "Then let's go!"

* * *

A/N: It begins! Everyone is starting to get involved now and I hope you will all be anticipating to see your favourite Smashers appear soon. Oh, no Ganondorf in this chapter... Anyway, leave a review! 

Mmm, I can't wait for Brawl to come out. I'll be playing that game to death just like how I'm still playing Melee.


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